Science at Hand
by pancaked
Summary: Basil is given one of the most difficult cases of his life and he takes it on without Dawson. But he's not the only mouse on the case and in order to solve the crime he will be forced to work with another and pay a visit to an enemy. Basil/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note and Disclaimer: First fanfiction... Please try not to be too harsh. The story title is based on the Jack's Mannequin song called "Hey Hey Hey (We're All Going to Die)". I own nothing, Basil and all Great Mouse Detective characters belong to Walt Disney and co.**

Villette LePetit came home from a long day of shopping in Mousedom. She sighed as she put her bags filled with food down onto the wood floor. She and her husband, Huet LePetit, had just moved from Paris to a new house in England; Mr. LePetit was a wealthy politician and had been offered a high paying job if he accepted to be relocated. Villette was not happy about the move; she missed her friends, the artworks, the Arche de Triomphe and the Parisian lifestyle that had once she lead. Yet, she couldn't complain: she lived in a house with more space than any mouse could ever need and windows that overlooked Big Ben. She sighed again as she walked over to the spacious kitchen and placed a loaf of bread on the counter.

"_Cheri_, I'm 'ome!" she called out to her husband as she continued to remove a wheel of cheese from a paper bag. Huet did not reply.

"Strange,"she thought, "he should be home by now". The house was strangely quiet for a Friday afternoon. Villette stopped taking her groceries out of her bags and stayed completely still. There was no sound at all. Mrs. LePetit's white fur stood on edge.

"_Mon amour_, pleeze zees ees not fah-nee." she called out again from the bottom of her staircase in her thick French accent. No reply.

Villette ran up the stairs on all fours as fast as she could in fear that something had happened to her husband. Using all of her strength she slammed the bedroom door wide open.

She screamed.

Basil of Baker street was smoking his pipe and reading the newspaper when the phone rang. He didn't bother to glance at the contraption and barely noticed when it rang again. The detective was engrossed in today's newspaper where headlines read "HUET LEPETIT, NEXT ADVISOR TO THE QUEEN?" with a photo of a grey furred mouse, with a black moustache that slightly turned up at the ends, standing at a podium with many other mice around him. Basil put down his pipe and took a sip of tea as he continued to read the article about the French mouse. Basil's partner, Doctor Dawson, had gotten married to a client who had her prized indoor oyster farm stolen and they were on a honeymoon in Venice. Mrs. Dawson was a lovely mouse, but Basil thought that his partner's relationship often distracted him and Basil silently vowed never to let himself be distracted from a case. Basil was still considered one of the best detectives in London and was still as sharp as a whip although it had been nearly ten years since he defeated his arch nemesis, Ratigan. The phone rang again.

Mrs. Judson swung the kitchen door open with a huff of annoyance. She glared at Basil as she stomped towards him. The maid was visibly angered that Basil hadn't answered the phone: the receiver was right next to his pipe and teacup. She continued to glare. The detective felt he was being watched and moved his eyes from the paper to Mrs. Judson.

"Well, I suppose you were going to answer that?" Basil asked, smirking. Mrs. Judson growled.

"Good afternoon," she spoke into the receiver, "Yes, this is Basil's residence. Yes. Please, slow down Miss." Basil, suddenly interested in the phone, grabbed the device from his maid as she scowled.

"This is detective Basil of Baker Street…" The mouse listened intently to the fast and neurotic speech of a female French mouse on the other end of the line; his eyes widened.

"You were away while this happened? Did you touch anything when you arrived? Have you called the police?" Basil quizzed the mouse on the line and nodded accordingly.

"Well, then there's not a moment to lose!" The mouse threw the phone into the maid's hands as he grabbed his vest from inside a grandfather clock and left his robe on the floor. Basil took his hat from atop the cloak hanger as all the coats fell to the floor. He didn't notice all the mess he left behind as he ran out and slammed the door shut with a "BANG".

Mrs Judson groaned as she heard Basil whistle for Toby.

"Toby, sit." Basil slid down the dog's tail and landed on the cobblestone street. The dog was panting and licked the mouse with his slimy tongue. The detective was drenched. Basil made a face of disgust and tried to flatten his fur with his paws.

Simply by hearing the address that the French mouse had given him over the phone, Basil knew that his client was well-off. Yet, he was still shocked at the size of the house: it was more space than a whole family of mice would need. Regardless, Basil dashed towards his client's front door. He turned to the dog, "Toby, stay. Good boy", before ringing the doorbell.

A white, slender mouse opened the front door. She was wearing a light blue dress that went down to her ankles and white high heeled shoes so she stood a bit taller than the detective. Her eyes were as blue as her dress however they were red and puffy, undoubtably from crying, Basil assumed.

"Good day, Miss. I'm detective Basil of..." He was interrupted by the sound of sobbing that came from the white mouse that stood in front of him. Basil was then enveloped in a bone crushing hug.

" Oh _Monsieur_ Bah-zile!" she said between sobs, "I am so 'appy zat you were able to – to – to..." She burst into tears and blew her nose into her handkerchief while keeping Basil in an embrace. The detective hated the physical contact, he snarled and kept his arms down by his sides as she continued to hold him.

"My 'usband," she continued to cry, " 'e is, 'e is..." Basil didn't need an explanation as much as he needed to be released from what was probably the worst sign of affection he ever had to endure. He sniffed the air.

"Murdered." He mumbled. The white mouse pulled her arms away from the detective. She blew her nose in her tissue once more. She said nothing.

"Judging by your French accent, the area and home in which you live, the pungent scent of blood in the air, recent news and the tears rolling down your face, I would say that your husband, Mr Huet LePetit was murdered. I would say," he sniffed the air again, "less than an hour ago." Mrs LePetit nodded, obviously stunned by how precise Basil was. She opened the door a little bit wider and moved out of the way to let Basil through and into her home. The detective continued to sniff the air and looked around the entrance for any possible clues. All he could smell was the pungency of the blood and... strawberries? Basil followed the scent up the staircase, leaving the sobbing Mrs LePetit on the couch on the main floor foyer, until he came to a bedroom.

The bedroom floor was covered in a light beige carpet; Basil noticed the shoe marks that were visible on the rug and could tell that quite a few people had come and gone before he had arrived. The carpeting was stained a burgundy colour: obviously where the blood smell was coming from. A light breeze along with the smell of strawberries was coming in through an open window from the opposite end of the room. Basil looked toward opening and noticed her: a mouse with dark brown fur and hair equally as dark tied back into a low ponytail. The mouse wore yellow plastic gloves that reached her elbows, brown lace-up boots, black pants, a form fitting white blouse and had a surgical mask covering her entire nose and mouth. In her hands, she was holding what seemed to be tape and a white powder. She put her tape into a small black notebook and scribbled a note in next to it. She looked up at Basil and he suddenly felt as though he should not be watching. Her yellow plastic clad paw pulled the mask down and away from her mouth.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? Don't you know it's rude to stare?" She barked. Basil smirked.

"I don't suppose you're working on this case?" She nodded. "Well, I can tell that you're not from around here, you're from America. I can tell by your accent and by the way you don't seem to know who I am. You look like a detective, such as I, but clearly not as renowned or as clever as you cannot deduct that I am a detective, clearly coming to work on the case of a murdered mouse..."

The dark brown mouse was seething. Not clever? Not renowned?

"I could say the same about you," she spat "I can tell that you're British because of your not-so-perfect teeth and your hoity-toity accent. As for being a detective, well, I couldn't tell as you reek of dog..." Now, it was her turn to smirk. Basil turned a dark shade of scarlet and grit his teeth. "Besides," she continued, "I would expect a detective of any sort of grandeur to arrive on time. I was here fifteen minutes ago and you missed some crucial evidence."

Basil hadn't been this angered since he sat on his own violin. He opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by the sobs of Mrs LePetit, who had come up to the bedroom when she had heard the two detectives arguing.

"_Monsieur_ Bah-zile, _Mademoiselle _Sinclair," She stopped to wipe her eyes, "I deed not call you both 'ere to fight," Tears continued to stream down her face, "I asked you both because you are ze best investigators in all ze Mousedom."

The detectives looked at each other. Basil gulped; he suddenly felt guilty for provoking the girl. "Peer-'aps, you could – 'ow you say – collaborate?" Work together? Basil hadn't worked with anyone other than Doctor Dawson and was not sure that the doctor could be replaced. The dark brown mouse, on the other hand, nodded in agreement. Mrs LePetit tried to smile through her sobs and wiped her nose with her tissue before nodding and going back down the stairs.

"I guess we'll be working together then," the brown mouse said, "I'm sorry I insulted you earlier. My name is Calysta Sinclair." Calysta held out her paw for Basil to shake and put on her best sincere smile.

"Basil of Baker Street," he paused, "Apology accepted." Calysta frowned, lowered her paw clenched it into a fist. Basil sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, I apologize as well." The mice shook paws. Basil smiled.

"I was in need of a new assistant."

**Author's note: Well that's it for chapter uno. Hope you readers all enjoyed and I should have chapter two within the next 2 days. Stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hello all! I couldn't help but notice that my page breaks vanished in the previous chapter, I hope that didn't cause any confusion. I would have put this up yesterday, but a friend of mine was playing a gig that I needed to see, so sorry for the delay.**

**Godshinin300****: Thanks so much :)**

**DisneyPrincess: I completely agree! I have some serious beef with Eric from The Little Mermaid. Also, thank you. :)**

**Finally, thanks to those who favourited and got the story alert for this fic. It is very much appreciated.**

**I don't own the Great Mouse Detective.**

"I guess we'll be working together then," the brown mouse said, "I'm sorry I insulted you earlier. My name is Calysta Sinclair." Calysta held out her paw for Basil to shake and put on her best sincere smile.

"Basil of Baker Street," he paused, "Apology accepted." Calysta frowned, lowered her paw clenched it into a fist. Basil sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, I apologize as well." The mice shook paws. Basil smiled.

"I was in need of a new assistant."

Calysta quickly withdrew her paw from Basil's grasp. "Assistant?" She asked, sounding disgusted, "You must be joking."

Basil was taken aback. He was confused; any mouse would be ecstatic to be working as his assistant, what was wrong with this American? Calysta kept talking, "I thought we would be working together. As in, I would be working WITH you, not FOR you." She took a step closer to him, "If you think that you can get me to be your personal assistant, stand on the side-lines and let your do all the detective work... You. Are. Mistaken." The dark brown mouse poked Basil in the chest three times for emphasis.

Basil tried to keep calm, he hated losing his temper, but he couldn't deny that he had never been more afraid of a mouse (a female no less!) in his life. The detective pushed Calysta's pointer finger away from his chest and kept a stoic expression. "If you don't mind, Miss Clarissa, I would like to gather some evidence and start working on the case." He inhaled the scent of Calysta's strawberry fur as he adjusted his hat. He then took a few steps past her and knelt to closer investigate the blood on the carpet. She started to laugh.

"Clarissa? Really? Is that the best you could do?" She laughed harder, "You're really something. Please, for next time, it's Calysta." Basil turned from is spot on the floor to look at her which prompted more laughter from the girl; she had one of her paws covering half of her face as she giggled. For the second time in the span of five minutes, this mouse with a dark brown ponytail had managed to bewilder Basil of Baker Street. It was a strange feeling, he wasn't the type to be confused about anything.

Calysta took a spot on the carpet next to Basil. "You're not a great liar, you know. I could tell you remembered my name, just chose to say Clarissa instead. It was written all over your face." She kept talking as she put one of her plastic gloves onto her paw. "You did a much better job at bothering me when you suggested that I become your assistant.", she said smiling.

Basil had hoped to get under her skin. He muttered, "Whatever." He turned to look at her; Calysta was now staring intently into the beige of the rug, she seemed to be trying to figure something out based on the stains, but he couldn't figure out what that was exactly. Basil returned his attention to the carpet as well; there was no specific shape, no way to identify how exactly the French mouse was killed. He peeked at what Calysta was doing; she was using a pair of tweezers to pick put pieces of dried blood from the carpet and placed the different bits into separate brown paper envelopes.

"Stop staring" She mumbled as she tried to pry another piece from the carpet. Basil turned away, embarrassed. He knew she was looking for different blood samples to see if more than one mouse had bled at the scene; maybe Mr. LePetit had tried to fight back and would have caused his attacker harm. Basil just didn't realize why he hadn't thought of if first.

"Do you think that there was more than one murderer?" Basil asked her.

"Hn." She grunted as she put what seemed to be the last sample in an envelope and sealed it shut. "Do you want to take a quick look around to see if there's anything I missed?" Basil turned to the window; clearly it was the emergency that the killers had taken to escape and leave their victim in the bedroom. He checked the floor, the bed, the dresser but nothing had been left in term of clues.

"I already took the prints from the windowsill." Calysta said as Basil was looking under the bed. He poked his head up from the floor. "Nothing", Basil said solemnly as he went to look at window; the was a fire escape that would have allowed the criminals to make a fast getaway.

Calysta looked at her samples. She knew she needed to test the blood for types and use a microscope to identify the prints from the window but she had been in Mousedom for such a short time, all of her lab equipment was still in labelled boxes scattering her kitchen. She gulped.

"Maybe we could go to your lab and we could use your equipment to see if we can identify if there was more than one killer." Basil raised one of his eyebrows. He hadn't known the mouse for a long time, but he knew that she wasn't the type to ask for help, let alone ask to use his lab. He smirked.

"Actually, I thought we could use your lab," he said smugly as he turned toward her, "As you arrived here fifteen minutes before I did, I suppose you live quite close." Calysta's lips formed a straight line, visibly bothered.

Basil's twisted smile did not leave his face. "You don't have a lab, do you?" He took a step closer to the dark haired mouse. Calysta's annoyed expression did not change. Basil knew he hit a nerve, his smile widened, "Excellent. Great to learn that I am working with such a qualified - detective - without a lab." He stressed the word detective knowing full well that the girl would be angry if Basil doubted her skills.

Calysta lost her patience. In one bound she was standing face to face with Basil, holding his shirt collar with her right paw. She snarled but didn't speak a word. Their faces were mere inches apart as the girl tightened her grip on the fabric around Basil's neck. The pony-tailed mouse stared into the emerald eyes of her British counterpart; neither said anything. Basil blinked and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

Calysta loosened her grip and let her paw fall to her side. She bowed her head breaking the gaze and sighed as she turned away from the light brown mouse, "You're right, let's just go." She headed down the stairs, leaving Basil alone in the bedroom.

**Authors Note: Thanks for reading, I hope this wasn't too short... I will update soon (by Tuesday, hopefully. Wednesday latest!) Next chapter, back to Baker Street :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Galimatias: Oh wow! Thank you! That's really kind. I guess I have high expectations to live up to now, haha!**

**DisneyPrincess: Well, I think that Basil tried to upset Olivia at the very end at the film but she didn't seem to mind too much at that point. Yes, Eric is handsome… But not as much as Jim Hawkins! ;)**

**JStilz: I actually had a more difficult time writing the last one and thought the dialogue/arguments between Basil and Calysta were better in the first. Maybe this chapter will be better? Or you could help/edit me? Haha. I only try to make Basil as adorable as I find him to be… :3**

**Lostlovemanami: Thank you! I like your Labyrinth story as well. Labyrinth is easily one of my favourite movies and I have a huge crush on David Bowie :3**

**Thanks to all readers, those who favourite, those who review and those who get story alerts. You're all great!**

**I do not own the Great Mouse Detective.**

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><p>Calysta lost her patience. In one bound she was standing face to face with Basil, holding his shirt collar with her right paw. She snarled but didn't speak a word. Their faces were mere inches apart as the girl tightened her grip on the fabric around Basil's neck. The pony-tailed mouse stared into the emerald eyes of her British counterpart; neither said anything. Basil blinked and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.<p>

Calysta loosened her grip and let her paw fall to her side. She bowed her head breaking the gaze and sighed as she turned away from the light brown mouse, "You're right, let's just go." She headed down the stairs, leaving Basil alone in the bedroom.

Basil couldn't move. It was like he had been frozen to the spot where he was standing, looking at the doorframe that the dark brown mouse had just exited by. He brought his paw up to the back of his neck and rubbed it gently without taking his eyes away from the doorway. Basil could still feel the warmth of Calysta's breath on the tip of his nose. The detective couldn't believe how close she had gotten to him, how she seemed unfazed by their proximity and how he himself didn't push her away as fast as he could. Maybe it was because he was terrified of her; she was the first mouse to react to his taunts since Ratigan, after all. "At least she didn't try to throw me off Big Ben," he thought as he moved his paw from his neck to his forehead, "Though I wouldn't put it past her." Basil inhaled the remnants of her strawberry scent, ignoring the smell of dried blood as he continued to touch his temples. Yet no amount of massaging could erase the angry hazel-eyed glare from Calysta. He heard talking from downstairs when he finally decided that he should get a move on. He pushed away the thoughts of her strawberry perfume, hazel eyes and strong grip around his collar, and left the crime scene.

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><p>Basil darted down the stairs to see Mrs LePetit sitting on a white victorian-style couch, sniffling and blowing her nose onto a handkerchief, while Calysta sat next to her. Calysta was gently rubbing the French mouse's shoulder with one paw and with the other was holding a cup of what Basil thought to be hot camomile tea. Calysta cooed gently to Villette, "There there...", she kept her paw on the white mouse's shoulder, "I made you some tea, try to calm down." The widow hiccupped and put her tissue in her lap as she accepted the warm beverage. She brought pink cup to her lips and sipped slowly as Basil continued to watch the two from the landing.<p>

Mrs LePetit swallowed the tea and tried to hold back some of her tears, "Ah-rre you sure zat you and _Monsieur_ Bah-zile will be ay-ble to find ze – ze – ze..." she stammered. A panicked look grew on Calysta's face; she thought she had finally managed to get her client to quiet down and didn't want the French mouse to burst into tears, again.

"Don't worry, Mrs LePetit, Basil and I will do our absolute best to make sure that justice is served. It's not the first murder I have dealt with and I have been able to catch the criminals every time." She smiled as she took one of Villette's paws into her own, "I know that Basil has the experience and the smarts to take this on, he's one of the most renowned detectives in all of Mousedom. Together, we'll be able to find out who killed your husband and keep you safe from harm."

Basil's eyes widened. His breath was caught in his throat. Calysta had actually said something nice about him and she sounded sincere. She had even been kind enough to comfort and make a cup of tea for their client. He couldn't believe that a few minutes ago this was the girl who had grabbed him by the collar and who he thought could have killed with a single glance.

The white mouse couldn't control herself anymore and started crying hysterically. The dark brown mouse picked up the handkerchief from Villette's lap and used it to dab at her tears as she tried to soothe the French mouse as best she could.

Basil cringed as the French mouse's cries grew louder; he backed himself onto the nearest wall, hoping to go unnoticed. Calysta's ear twitched; she heard Basil's back hitting the wall behind her. She turned her head slightly to look at Basil; her eyes narrowed. Just when Basil thought his partner had grown to appreciate him, Calysta gave him what he could only call the stare of death. The detective chose not to move his back from the wall, not because of the glare that the dark brown mouse was giving him, but because he really wanted nothing to do with the crying mess sitting on the couch. He wasn't the sentimental type and didn't want to be caught in yet another bone crushing hug from the white mouse. Basil tried to play it off as he was just getting down the steps and adjusted his tie. The mouse with the pony-tail wasn't buying it.

Calysta stood from her spot next to Mrs LePetit and spoke to her through gritted teeth, "Regardless, I know that _**I **_will definitely be able to solve this." She plastered a fake smile on her face, obviously upset that Basil left her to deal with the emotional widow alone.

Villette LePetit stood with Calysta and spoke through her tears, "Zhank you, _Mademoiselle _Sinclair." The white mouse then promptly enveloped the American in a hug. Basil smirked, glad that he didn't have to endure yet another embrace from the French mouse, and moved from his spot on the wall to behind the couch. He kept his twisted smile as he approached the two female mice; the white mouse kept crying as she held the darker one. Calysta was making obscene gestures at Basil while Mrs LePetit held her; Calysta dragged her pointer finger across her neck and mouthed the words, "YOU'RE DEAD", while Basil looked on.

He tried to stifle his laughter as he walked towards the door.

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><p>Finally, Calysta had been released from the death grip that her client was holding her in. At last, she could leave the crying widow to her own devices; Calysta was a detective, not a therapist nor was she a friend, after all. Yet, she was still upset. They stepped out the front door and Calysta couldn't help but stare angrily at Basil.<p>

"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" Basil asked, still smirking, as he used the same line she did when he had first arrived at the crime scene.

Calysta was in a red-hot rage. She didn't know whether to yell at the light brown mouse or if she should tear is hat in half, or both. She tried to maintain composure; she had already lost her temper with him once today and he obviously knew what made her tick. She didn't want to let him get to her.

"Thanks for letting me do the dirty work. Greatly appreciated." She said, dripping with sarcasm, "And I'm the assistant. Hah!" She walked out towards the cobblestone streets trying to get away from the British detective as fast as she could.

Basil ignored her sarcasm as he watched Calysta walk away."You don't know where you're going", he yelled after her.

Calysta stopped in her tracks. For the second time today, Basil was right; she didn't have a lab and she had no clue where Basil's lab was. She turned to look at the detective who had yet to wipe the smirk off his face. She sighed, "You're right. I'm an American with no sense of direction. Please, tell me, oh righteous one, where are we headed?" She said bitterly, smiling.

Basil frowned, "Your sarcasm is not welcome here, Miss Calysta." She rolled her eyes, but really she was happy that Basil had gotten her name right.

"Fine, I'll stop with the wise cracks. But we should really head to your lab, so maybe we should start walking." Calysta looked up at Basil, who stood a bit taller than she.

Basil shook his head, "That won't be necessary." A quizzical expression passed over Calysta's face as the light brown mouse stuck two of his fingers in his mouth and whistled. The ground below the mice's feet began to tremble.

"What...", the female started. Basil put one of his fingers in front of Calysta's lips and turned towards the girl.

"Tell me, Miss Calysta, are you afraid of large animals?" He smiled that evil smirk that the American knew too well; she had a feeling that this could end badly.

Suddenly, what seemed like a dark cloud had shifted right above the two mice. Calysta looked up; it was a huge brown and white dog. The dog was panting and was looking right at her and Basil.

"Ahaha!", Basil exclaimed, "Toby, this is Miss Calysta. Calysta, this is Toby."

The dog seemed happy to be meeting one of Basil's friends. The dark brown mouse approached the dog, she wasn't afraid, much to Basil's dismay. "Hello Toby", Calysta said as she lifted her tiny paw for the dog to smell; Toby sniffed her paw and licked the girl's face. She giggled as she rubbed the dog's nose and face. Basil had taken a few steps closer to Calysta and Toby while the two were getting acquainted.

She turned to speak to Basil as he opened his mouth, "I didn't know you liked animals", they said in unison. Basil blushed. Calysta laughed, "I lived on a farm for a while in America", she stopped giggling and it seemed as though a shadow had been cast over her, "I learned a lot, mainly which animals I shouldn't get too close to." She kept petting Toby's nose as Basil tried to get a closer look at her expression; but she had quickly changed from somber to smiling. "Dogs are pretty safe, sorry to disappoint you", she finished.

"Ah, yes, well Toby here has the most splendid sense of smell out of all the hounds I have trained...", Basil was interrupted by his partner.

"You trained him since he was a puppy? You've trained more than one?" She asked, as she continued to rub the back of Toby's ears. The dog was throughly enjoying the attention that this mouse was giving him. Calysta turned toward Basil, "You've finally managed to impress me, Basil!"

Of all things, Basil of Baker Street did not think that Toby would be what impressed the American detective. He was hoping that his reputation alone would blow her away, it was enough for anyone else he encountered. The light brown mouse blushed a darker shade of red; Calysta didn't notice as she had moved on to scratching the top of the dog's head.

Basil cleared his throat and Calysta stopped rubbing Toby's ears and head, much to Toby's disappointment. "Right", Basil said, "We should get going to Baker Street!"

Toby lowered himself to the ground so that the two mice could hop onto his back. Basil climbed up the dog's back with ease; he was so used to riding Toby from place to place that it had become second nature for him. Calysta, on the other hand, kept sliding down the dog's slippery fur. She didn't want to ask for help, however. Basil groaned as he brought his palm up to his face. The dark brown mouse was about half-way up Toby's back when Basil extended his paw to her. She shook her head, "It's ok, I'm almost...", she slipped again. Basil didn't know whether to laugh at her or to be exasperated with her. She tried to climb up again and Basil tried to help once more, but she ignored it completely.

Basil's irritation quickly rose, "If we are to be working _**together **_you're going to need to accept help from me." He was clearly annoyed; the longer they stayed in front of their client's house, the longer it would be before they arrived at the lab and caught the criminals.

Calysta looked into Basil's emerald green eyes as she grabbed his paw with her own. The British detective pulled her up Toby's back until they were inches apart, for the second time that day.

Basil swallowed as he dropped her paw and adjusted his hat, "Right, so you'll sit at the front and hold onto Toby's collar. I will sit right behind you." He pointed to the dog's royal blue neckband.

Calysta sat down on Toby's back and got as close as she could to his neck and held onto his collar. Basil sat right behind her and held onto her waist. Calysta trembled when Basil first put his paws around her. Basil yelled, "Onwards, Toby! To Baker Street!"

The dog took off with lightening speed and the two mice were pushed backward slightly. Calysta was afraid she would fly right off Toby's back; she tightened her grip around the royal blue leather of the dog collar. Consequently, Basil tightened his grip around Calysta's middle. The cold autumn air whipped around them as the dog ran through the streets. Red and orange leaves that littered the road were kicked up as Toby stepped on them.

The sound of Basil's crazy laughter resonated in the girl's ears. The front of light brown mouse's chest was pressed up against her back. She inhaled his scent; tobacco, earl grey tea, newsprint and cardamom.

She could get used to smelling it.

**Ok so… I know I said I would update yesterday…I got sidetracked, watching anime films. Please don't hurt me D: . I made this chapter much longer to compensate, yes? I don't know when I will be able to update next, seeing as I have job interview and a tea date this afternoon, my boyfriend is back from his family holiday (and he will undoubtably distract me by offering to buy me food) and I start up school again on Tuesday… So maybe Sunday? … or Monday…**


	4. Chapter 4

Uh… Well this is awkward. I know I said I would update Monday… and that today is Monday, though two weeks late… But I really was busy with school and job hunting and working on my portfolio for art school and and and and... PLEASE FORGIVE ME…

Comida Del Arte: Haha, thank you. I will most certainly keep writing it, but maybe at a slower pace than I'd like. I can't help but notice that you're writing an OC fic as well! I'm going to go read that rigghhhtt nao. ;)

DisneyPrincess: You'd be surprised at what anger can make people do! With enough adrenaline, humans have lifted cars off of their loved ones and I think Calysta could get upset enough to pick up Basil ;) I wish Jim was a face character in Disney Land… it would make MY dreams come true :p

Thanks to all those who read, reviewed, favourited and got story story alerts. It really means a lot to know that others appreciate your work :)

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><p>The sound of Basil's maniacal laughter resonated in the girl's ears. The front of light brown mouse's chest was pressed up against her back. She inhaled his scent; tobacco, earl grey tea, newsprint and cardamom.<p>

She could get used to smelling it.

Toby stopped abruptly, sending the two mice lurching forward; Calysta had her chest pressed up against the back of Toby's head and Basil had his head resting on Calysta's shoulder. They had arrived at a very small door that had the number 221 1/2 in gold lettering on the front of it. Calysta looked down at her paws as Basil cleared his throat and moved himself away from her. He let go of the ponytailed mouse's waist as he slid down Toby's back. Calysta looked at the ground below from her perch atop of the dog's neck. She swallowed hard and slowly dropped the royal blue leather as Toby, panting, looked at her with an expression that could only be described as, "What is taking so long?". Calysta clenched her eyes shut. Basil, realizing that his new companion was probably afraid of heights, smacked his forehead with his palm and dragged it down his face in annoyance. Calysta, with her eyes still closed, pushed herself down Toby's side as fast as she could. She bit her lower lip as to not scream out in fear.

Calysta did not have time to hit the ground as a pair of warm light brown paws caught her by the waist. She opened her eyes; Basil had caught her and was gently bringing her down onto the cobblestone street. The pony-tailed mouse's feet were on the floor when Basil rolled his eyes and made a clicking sound with his mouth, "You could have just asked Toby the kneel, you know."

Calysta blushed. She didn't think Basil would be kind enough to catch her the way he did. She smirked as she tried to play it off as if nothing had happened. "I think I would have survived the fall", she said shrugging.

"Not with the way you threw yourself off of Toby." Basil snapped, "I would prefer to not have a partner who is wheelchair ridden, if you don't mind." He moved one of his paws from Calysta's waist to her shoulder as he picked one of Toby's hair's from her jacket, flicked the hair away and brushed her shoulder gently. Basil barely noticed that his other paw was still lingering on the dark mouse's hip; the girl however, felt as though his fingers were burning holes through her clothes. She blushed an even deeper shade of red as her eyes moved from her shoulder to the detective's bright emerald eyes. Neither of them moved.

Suddenly a loud "BANG!" was heard as the door of 221 1/2 violently swung open and a chubby light brown mouse wearing a purple dress and a white cap emerged. Some stray hairs were sticking out of her hat and she had angry expression that could easily rival Calysta's when Basil had referred to her as an assistant. Basil and Calysta quickly jumped away from each other as the stout mouse opened her mouth and yelled, "MISTER BASIL! HAVE YOU NO RESPECT-!"

Basil quickly interrupted her by sprinting over to where she was standing and covered her mouth with his paw, "Mrs. Judson, please, we do not need you to cause a scene!" He started pushing Mrs. Judson back indoors as he continued speaking to her, "You noticed we have a guest, perhaps you could make some tea and finger sandwiches..." He trailed off and Mrs Judson made mumbling sounds as Basil pushed her inside, leaving Calysta outside the front door.

Calysta turned to look at Toby, who had watched the whole scene, seemed unfazed. She raised her paw to scratch the dog's chin, "Bye Toby." The canine smiled happily and licked her face leaving as she giggled. Basil poked his head around the front entrance and tossed a small treat to the dog, "Until next time, Toby." The dog barked affectionately as he trotted back to his home. The detective turned to the dark haired mouse, "Do I have to invite you inside? Or would you like to stand on the porch all evening?"

* * *

><p>Calysta was surprised at how cluttered Basil's apartment was; there were swords hanging on the walls and Basil stored his coat in a grandfather clock. There was a red armchair in the centre of the living room with a violin leaning on one of the sides. Newspaper littered the floor. Across from the red armchair was a couch of the same colour as the chair. There were news clippings in frames covering the walls around a fireplace; above the fireplace was a mantle which was over flowing with photographs. A huge table was lining the wall across from the hearth with bottles on it: Calysta assumed that this was Basil's lab, she stared at the coloured liquids and vials intently. The whole room smelled of burning wood, tobacco and newsprint.<p>

Mrs Judson gently opened the kitchen door and the soft smell of fruits wafted into the living room. The maid turned to Calysta then turned to Basil, "You didn't tell me the guest was beautiful." Calysta blushed and Basil's eyes widened; he was speechless. The housemaid turned back to Calysta as she placed a teapot, two cups and a plate of finger sandwiches on a stack of books next to the red armchair, "Now how did such a pretty thing like yourself get stuck with an impudent man such as him." Calysta giggled as Basil tapped his foot onto the floor and clenched one of his paws into a fist, "Now see here-", he started but was interrupted.

"The misfortune of being from America and not having a lab, I suppose." Calysta said smiling as she sat on the red armchair as she poured the hot liquid from the pot in a tea cup. Mrs Judson seemed suddenly more interested in the foreigner, "America...", the maid whispered wide eyed as she continued to ask Calysta about the far away land across the pond. Basil continued to stare at the two women discussing. Beautiful? Basil didn't really think of anyone as beautiful, let alone his new partner. Maybe he thought his mother was beautiful once, but Calysta was too rough around the edges to be considered beautiful.

Basil cleared his throat; Mrs Judson and Calysta stopped conversing. "Mrs Judson, thank you for the tea but Miss Calysta and I must start our work on the murder, we do not have a moment to lose", he said. Mrs Judson sighed as she said her goodbyes to the pony-tailed mouse and headed back to the kitchen.

Calysta put her cup of tea back onto the pile of books and got up, "I'll get the samples."

* * *

><p>The dark haired mouse pulled out her black notebook and placed it onto the laboratory table. Basil glanced at it: there was a small diagram of the windowsill and exactly where the prints had been. She carefully handed the pieces to the light brown male. Basil gently dusted the pieces of tape with powder and then examined them one by one under his microscope. He hummed every time he looked at a new piece. Calysta nervously drummed her fingers on the table while Basil peered into the lens. "Well?", she asked impatiently. He mumbled grimly, "Adult mouse, average size..." Calysta continued to look at him intently, "Anything else?" Basil shook his head, "At the very least, we know it wasn't Mr LePetit, as he was quite over weight.", he said, remembering the photo from the newspaper that morning.<p>

Basil looked over at the assortment of brown envelopes that Calysta had started to open. The girl emptied the contents of each container into a different petri dish and labeled them with letters "A" through "I". She looked up at the detective, "Test for blood types, if there was any foreign toxins or other bodies in the blood ." Basil nodded as Calysta went to lie on the red couch to finish her tea. "Let me know if you need help", she said. Basil waved his paw at her absently, "I would prefer to do this part alone if you don't mind. I have my things organized a certain way..." he mumbled, "I'll let you know when I'm finished."

The sky outside had quickly grown dark; the lampposts had all been turned on and the a stars were shining dimly in the city light. Basil continued to distinguish blood types and foreign bodies; he nibbled on his lower lip as he concentrated.

Hours had passed when he had finally finished. "AHA!" he exclaimed. Three different blood types; the victim and two more. No poison, nothing out of the ordinary. The only strange thing that Basil had found was two different pieces of bone; each piece had come from a different body. One piece was from the victim, but how could there be a piece of bone from another? How hard had Mr LePetit fought his two killers? Basil found it difficult to believe that he would be able to stab either of his adversaries. Even if the victim had managed to hurt his opposers to that point they would need medical attention. Basil smiled, if they could look into the nearest hospitals, perhaps he and Calysta could find at least one of the killers in the morning. Basil turned to his female partner to tell her the good news.

The fire was out. On the couch was Basil's counterpart, asleep. The detective got up from his spot in front of the laboratory table and walked over to the sofa to look at her. He glanced over at the grandfather clock, two sixteen in the morning. Basil sighed and draped a white quilt over Calysta. He squat down next to the couch to look at her. He hoped she was in a deep sleep and he gently pulled the ribbon from her hair so her pony-tail would become undone. Calysta's long dark brown hair fell from this usual place and framed her face. Basil continued to look at her; her long eyelashes fluttered a little in her sleep.

Maybe Mrs Judson was right. Maybe Calysta was beautiful. Just maybe.

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><p>Alright, so if I'm slacking, feel free to hassle me for an update. Really. I'm so serious (I sometimes… *cough cough*always… need to be motivated).<p>

Next chapter... Cal and Basil head to the morgue... LOL. I'm serious.

OH AND NEW VILLAIN. yeyeyeyeye.


	5. Chapter 5

**Whoop! Second update in 6 days!**

**DisneyPrincess: Thank you! I always look forward to your reviews. Isn't it unfortunate that there are more people know who Rebecca Black is than there are people who know who Basil and Ratigan are? I absolutely love Basil's quirks too... I would totally live with him, I'm sure it would be crazy fun.**

**Comidia Del Arte: Thanks for your review. The mention was really nothing, I throughly enjoyed your second chapter and I am impatiently awaiting your third. Also! In my history of theatre class, we'll be studying "Commedia dell Arte", and I thought of you right away! Just thought you should know. ;)**

**Thank you to all readers, those who comment, favourite and get story alerts. **

* * *

><p>Calysta stretched and yawned as she rubbed her eyes. She didn't even remember falling asleep yet she was waking up. Her arms reached above her head as her eyelids fluttered open. She was looking up at a ceiling that she did not recognize. Calysta went from her lying down to an upright sitting position as a sound of shock escaped her lips; her long dark hair framed her face and caressed her cheeks. She peered at her surroundings; it seems that the girl had fallen asleep at Basil of Baker Street's apartment. Calysta brought her paw up to her head and massaged her temples; she must have dozed off while Basil was testing blood samples. She groaned. There was no way that the British detective could take her seriously after this. She felt like an assistant.<p>

The kitchen door swung open and Mrs Judson emerged from the other room. "Good morning dear, did you have a nice rest?", she asked politely. The maid was wearing the same white cap as she wore the day before but her dress had changed to one that was deep blue. She was carrying a white carafe filled with a a steaming liquid and a cup; in her other hand, she held a tray of crumpets.

Calysta perked up as soon as Mrs Judson entered the living room. She looked up and smiled at the older mouse, "I slept well, thank you". The dark brown mouse gently sniffed the air; cheese crumpets and... coffee? The smile on Calysta's face grew as she glanced at the pot the housemaid was holding. Mrs Judson noticed the almost goofy expression that was now painted on the younger girl's face; she placed the coffee and crumpets on the couch while Calysta was fixated on the porcelain container. The maid poured some coffee into a cup. The dark brown mouse's eyes brightened, "Thank you!", she exclaimed as she sprung up to grab the mug, nearly knocking Mrs Judson and the coffee pot over in the process. Mrs Judson thought that the girl's obvious love for coffee and quirky excitement must be some sort of American trait and patted the other mouse on the back.

The maid sat on the red couch next to the tray of crumpets, picked up one of the buns and started to nibble on it . Calysta was still wrapped in the white quilt as she sipped the hot beverage. The dark brown mouse turned to the lighter one, "Thank you for breakfast", she continued as she stared down into her cup, "and for putting the blanket over me last night."

Mrs Judson turned toward the girl with a raised eyebrow. Calysta moved her eyes from the coffee mug to the maid and noticed her air of confusion, "You didn't put the blanket on me... did you?".The maid shook her head and got up from her seat on the couch; she brushed some cheese crumbs from her dress. Calysta's eyes widened; it must have been Basil. That was the second act of kindness that the British detective would have performed in less than twenty four hours; first catching Calysta mid-fall when she threw herself off Toby and now the quilt. Calysta turned a light shade of pink in realization as she kept looking in wide eyed wonderment at Mrs Judson. The American ran a paw through her hair and noticed that it was out of her usual pony-tail; did Basil do this too? She blushed a darker shade of red as she thought of the British detective touching her hair.

Suddenly loud stomping was heard from the floor above. Calysta looked up at the ceiling as Mrs Judson walked back into the kitchen; the maid stopped in the doorframe, turned and winked at the blushing mouse who was still wrapped in the quilt. The door swung shut and Mrs Judson disappeared.

There was a loud series of thumping sounds was Basil bounded down the staircase. Basil was wearing his violet robe and had a huge grin plastered onto his face. Calysta was terrified of his eerie smile and what the detective would say about her impromptu sleep-over; his overbearing facial expression wasn't helping. Basil stopped mid-leap, "Is that the smell of crumpets?", he asked to no one in particular. He kept smiling; this worried the girl even more. Perhaps Basil had discovered who the culprit was while she was asleep; Calysta silently prayed that this wasn't the case.

"So, what about the samples from yesterday? Did you find anything useful?", Calysta asked as she tried to take a sip of her coffee but found it difficult to swallow; she was much too nervous and the idea of Basil solving the case while she had been sleeping, being so nice and touching her hair made it difficult for the girl to function normally. She put her cup back on the tray.

"Useful indeed!" Basil exclaimed as he landed on the living room floor. He ran over to the laboratory table and picked up two petri dishes then rushed over to the red sofa. The detective pushed the samples into the girl's face; her vision blurred as the two glass plates got dangerously close to her eyes.

She grabbed a small pate in each paw; in the petri-dishes were two of the smallest white specks that Calysta had ever seen, "Bone?", she asked as she looked up at Basil.

The detective was nodding as he paced the room, his pipe to his lips, "Yes, two different bodies."

Calysta raised her eyebrow quizzically as she got up from her spot on the couch and brought the two samples back to the laboratory table; she tried to find a space on the wooden surface that wasn't covered in beakers, test tubes and a strange experiment that consisted of boots turning and the soles printing onto sheets of paper. She turned to Basil, "I highly doubt that the victim would have been able to have a piece of the bone to exit the body without causing some serious damage."

Basil stopped pacing, "Precisely what I had thought last night. Well, this morning actually... While you were sleeping", he smirked as he glanced at her.

Calysta had hoped that Basil wouldn't mention how she had taken the back seat while he had looked through dried blood samples. She knew he was right but she couldn't help but be a bit peeved with him, "Perhaps if you were a bit more organized", she motioned to the table behind her, "I would have been able to help." Basil scowled as she continued, "You took quite some time to test the samples as well, I would have been awake, if you were a bit quicker", she walked towards the fireplace, her back to Basil, and looked at the collection of photographs on the mantle.

Basil took the pipe from his mouth and ground his teeth together. He wanted to say something to her but couldn't think of anything; it was a first. He tried to think of something witty but it's as though his brain could only focus on the long brown hair that he had taken out from its usual ponytail the night before. The long straight hair cascading down his partner's back, shining in the soft sunlight that poured in from between the windows at the front of the room.

"Who is this?", Calysta asked curiously as she pointed out at a frame. Basil painstakingly tore his eyes away from the girl's hair as he got closer to the mantle; he stood close behind the American, inhaled her strawberry scent and looked up at the photo she was pointing at.

Basil clenched his fists, "My arch nemesis, the nefarious Professor Ratigan", he said through git teeth.

Calysta took the frame into her paws as she looked closely at the picture of the rat wearing a tiny top hat. She turned to look at Basil, "That bad?", she asked.

Basil felt the warmth of Calysta's breath on the tip of his nose when she spoke. He looked at the photo in the girl's paw and snarled, "He was an evil mastermind, the Napoleon of crime!". A sudden darkness washed over Basil as he spoke, "For years, he was able to pull off the most terrible schemes until...", he trailed off as he crossed his arms and moved his gaze from Calysta to the floor, "Until the day where he nearly killed me." He swallowed and looked up at his American counterpart; some of her hair had fallen into one of her eyes and her tiny light pink nose twitched slightly. Calysta nodded, beckoning for Basil to continue. He sighed, "He tried to overthrow the Queen that day, by creating a robot doppelganger of her, he tried to become the ruler of Mousedom. Ratigan failed, thankfully, but he nearly threw me off Big Ben while I was trying to capture him."

Calysta interjected, "Do you ever think about what would have happened if you would have fallen that day?", she seemed genuinely concerned about Basil's sudden turn of emotion. She placed the frame face down on the mantle.

"Every day." Basil muttered sombrely. He perked up, "No matter, Ratigan in no longer at large and my cases have been less sinister...-", Basil was interrupted mid-sentence.

"You killed him?" Calysta yelped. She hoped she wasn't in the presence of a murderer; Basil had given her the impression, especially this morning with his mood swings, that he was a little crazy. But a killer? Hopefully not.

Basil sighed, exasperated, "No, I did not kill anyone. He fell from the hands of the clock tower."

Calysta raised her eyebrows. "Fell. Fell, not pushed. Sure." she mumbled sarcastically. "So, he's dead?"

Basil's shoulders slumped, his face fell and turned sombre once more as he walked toward his red armchair and sat down. He shook his head, "No. He is not dead", he picked up his violin and started playing a depressing tune.

Calysta stomped over to the chair in the centre of the living room. "You mean to say that he fell from Big Ben and survived?", she asked, astonished.

Basil nodded as he continued to play his violin, "He's currently in a maximum security prison. He also has a few missing limbs from his fall". Calysta rolled her eyes; she wasn't enjoying the pity party that the British detective decided to throw himself.

"I don't understand what the problem is, Basil. He's in jail, he doesn't even have all his appendages and you're sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. Why do you even keep that photo above your fire place? To remind yourself that you didn't do a perfect job?"

The violin made a screeching sound as Basil put the bow down onto the floor, "I keep the photograph to remind myself of the constant possibility of danger, the ever-lasting threat of evil that exists in this world." He put the violin down next to the bow, "I keep it to remind myself that maybe I should have made sure that Ratigan and countless other vilains ended up dead, regardless of the consequences or the guilt I would have to live with." He turned away from Calysta and lowered his voice as he continued to speak, "I keep it to remind me of that night, and what would happen if Ratigan ever broke free."

Silence fell between the two mice. Calysta's breath was caught in her throat; there she was, standing in front of a mouse who she had accused of feeling sorry for himself when in reality he was just afraid. She felt terrible; she had been so unnecessarily cruel to someone who was trying to be her friend. Calysta looked at Basil; he was avoiding eye-contact, paws in his robe's pockets.

There were many things that could have explained what Calysta did next, but it was near impossible to pin point what it was exactly. Maybe it was because she felt guilty. Maybe it was the sudden burst of energy that the coffee gave her. Maybe it was because Basil was kind enough to drape a blanket over her the night before and she wanted to be just as kind. Maybe she understood what it's like to be scared. Maybe she wanted to be Basil's friend.

Calysta dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Basil.

The two mice's cheeks touched as Calysta spoke softly, "Basil, I'm sure that this Napoleon of crime, as you call him, has nothing on you. You were able to get him into jail. There's nothing you can't do."

Basil, who was innately repulsed by any means of physical contact, didn't mind the embrace that he was in. He was initially surprised by Calysta's act of kindness but listened intently to her soft speech.

The British mouse felt warm as his American partner held him. His nose brushed against her long, brown, strawberry-scented hair as he wrapped his arms around her in return.

* * *

><p>The mouse wore a black mask that covered half his face as he sat in his leather chair and exhaled smoke from his cigar. He formed rings with the exhaust; the rings gently floated upward and hit a standing mouse in the jaw.<p>

The mouse who was standing upright scowled, "Hey Boss!", he said in a strong Cockney accent.

The mouse in the chair, Boss, laughed and crushed his cigar in an ashtray that was sitting on his desk. Boss picked up a newspaper from the wooden surface. He looked at the day's headline, "Huet LePetit killed in home!", and grinned. Boss muttered, "Sloppy, sloppy.", in a tone that was much too happy considering he was talking about a murder.

The mouse who was standing next to the leather chair was tall but chubby, he wore a black beret and a long overcoat. He looked down at Boss, "It wasn't my fault."

Boss looked up from paper. His masked face looked terrifying in the dim light of his office, "That's not the point, Faust", he said in a pronounced Boston accent. The grin quickly vanished from Boss' face. He dropped in newsprint back onto the table. His left fist came up and banged loudly onto the wooden surface; his fist was covered in a black velvet glove. Boss stood, "It shouldn't have happened at all!", he yelled.

Faust felt as though the other mouse's scream was so loud that the draped window behind him had begun to shake. Faust tried to defend himself, "I know, Boss, I'm sorry, but the team you hired..."

"SHUT UP!" The other mouse yelled again.

Faust flinched. He was a new employee, or henchman, of Boss. Faust didn't know much about the other man; the tall mouse didn't know his name, his plans or why he wore a mask over half his face. Faust thought it better than to ask, all he knew was that it was best to do as Boss said. He remained silent.

Boss sat back down in his leather chair as picked up the newspaper once more and quickly skimmed the article. He grunted, "Basil of Baker Street... Detective Calysta Sinclair". He threw the paper against the wall, "Do you know who those two are?", he asked, as loud as ever.

Faust's knees were hitting each other as he shook his head, "N-n-no."

Boss smiled again as he got back up. He used his right paw to gently start removing the black velvet from his left. Boss now began to speak in a low whisper, "I highly recommend that you find out." He entirely removed the glove from his left hand; he had no fingertips, only exposed joints and bones up to his knuckles. Faust nearly gagged when the glove was removed. Boss moved his fingers to his henchman's face and traced the other mouse's jaw with his bones. Faust clenched his eyes shut and prayed for everything to be over. The henchman felt Boss slowly breathing in his ear, "Get out of my office. Now."

Faust walked as fast as he could to the exit without breaking into a run. He opened the door but before he had the chance to step out, Boss made a hissing sound, beckoning for Faust to listen.

"I want both their heads on a platter. You got it?"

Faust swallowed, "Got it, Boss."

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><p><strong>So I tried to make a long update as to apologize for my two-week absence. Hopefully everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)<strong>

**In other news, my unhealthy obsession with "The Great Mouse Detective" hit an all time high when, after receiving a set of mice rings that I ordered from ebay, I went to the closest forever21 and nearly bought a shirt solely because it had a graphic of a mouse with a Basil-like hat on...**

**If anyone has a story that they would like for me to read, please let me know! I would be more than happy to read and review your work and I am always looking for fun things to read. **

**Much love, thank you to all the readers. Feel free to hassle me for an update (but hopefully, I'll be so fast that you won't need to.)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey Everyone!**

**Sorry this update took so long, and it's not very long... But I have been massively busy with school, university applications, part-time jobs, friends, boyfriend, family, spilling water in my laptop's keyboard... So unfortunately this story took the back burner. I will be able to update again sometime around the 12th of December. Sorry ya'll.**

**Anyway, I'd just like to mention that the previous time that I had updated (which was a long time ago...) there were the most hits I had ever seen on my story in one day; it's so exciting to see that people are interested in reading my updates as soon as they are posted.**

**I would like to thank both DisneyPrincess and Galimatias for their reviews. I'm so sorry I could not give a better return-message... I just want to get this update out as fast as I can and I'm cutting corners right now.**

**Thank you to all readers and subscribers.**

Calysta dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Basil.

Their cheeks touched as Calysta spoke softly, "Basil, I'm sure that this Napoleon of crime, as you call him, has nothing on you. You were able to get him into jail. There's nothing you can't do."

Basil, who was innately repulsed by any means of physical contact, didn't mind the embrace that he was in. He was initially surprised by Calysta's act of kindness but listened intently to her soft speech.

The British mouse felt warm as his American partner held him. His nose brushed against her long, brown, strawberry-scented hair as he wrapped his arms around her in return.

Calysta felt like there were butterflies in her stomach as she felt Basil's paws move to her back. She smiled as she moved her head to look at the detective in the eyes.

The kitchen door swung open again with a loud "WHAM" and Calysta instantly leaped away from Basil and quickly pulled her paws back towards herself; it was as if she had touched something that was much too hot and needed to soothe her burns. Basil immediately missed the warmth that their embrace had created; he looked up at Calysta from his spot on the armchair and scowled as he crossed his arms. Calysta had jumped so far back that she had almost reached the couch at the other end of the living room.

Mrs Judson emerged from the kitchen and started screaming, "MISTER BASIL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE STOVE!". The maid began running towards Basil holding a small green creature; a toad. Basil poked his head up from the chair; his eyes and smile widened.

"It survived!" Basil hopped onto the the back of the armchair and leaped down to the floor. He dashed into the kitchen and let the door swing close, leaving Mrs Judson looking flustered, holding the amphibian in both her hands.

Mrs Judson looked over at Calysta who's eyebrows were raised in confusion. Still holding the toad the maid said, "You've got a big job on your hands."

….

It took thirty minutes to pry Basil from the kitchen.

"Basil! If you don't leave the kitchen right now, I will make sure a cat swallows you whole and it will be so tragic that the whole population of New Mouse City* will hear about your demise!", Calysta yelled as she pulled on the back of his robe.

"Now, now Calysta, experiments such as these take time..." Basil continued to poke about the stove with a set of metal prongs.

"Time that we don't have!" Calysta continued to tug at the collar of Basil's purple robe. "We need to go check the hospital records" she said, as she jerked the neckband with every word, "We. Need. To. Solve. !" The violet band around Basil's neck broke free with a loud "RIP!"; the piece of the collar was in Calysta's right paw. The girl's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, "Oops", she whispered.

Tufts of light brown fur were visible through the gaping hole in Basil's robe. The mouse dropped the prongs onto the stove top with a clanging noise. Basil turned around slowly and glared at Calysta. He looked like he was going to have a coronary as he spoke through grit teeth, "I'll call for Toby."

Calysta, still holding the piece of torn robe, crossed her arms and smiled, "Good."

...

Mrs Judson was sitting on the couch by the time Basil and Calysta returned from the kitchen; the maid was gently stroking the toad's head as the amphibian sat in her lap. Basil made a tutting sound with his tongue.

"You mustn't keep it Mrs. Judson... it's an experiment!" He exclaimed, frantically waiving his arms.

Mrs Judson scowled at the detective as she continued to gently brought her hand across the top of the toad's head. The toad looked up at Basil and croaked, "RIBBIT".

"I think he wants to stay", Calysta said between giggles, "though I don't understand why he would want to live in a house with you", she finished jokingly.

Basil slapped his face with his paw; he let his fingers part and glared at Calysta through the space between his middle and pointer finger.

"Whatever!"

...

After Basil instructed Mrs Judson to fix the hole in his purple robe then tried and failed to set the toad, that the maid had now named Geoffrey, free, Calysta and the British detective were finally standing outside of 221 1/2. Toby had dashed over as soon as Basil had whistled for him; Basil adjusted his hat as he hopped onto Toby's ear, which the dog had transformed into a tiny staircase.

"Hey Toby!", Calysta rubbed the hound's wet black rose as the dog panted happily.

"AHEM!", came a voice from the top of the dog's head. Calysta looked up; Basil was standing with his legs apart and his arms crossed. He didn't look pleased.

"Whoops." She had been the one rushing him to leave the kitchen and now she was stalling. Toby lowered his nose so that the mouse could climb up the dog's face to meet her British counterpart.

Basil started tapping his small oxford-clad foot furiously against the top of the dog's head, "Come on, now!", he said, while continuing to tap his foot.

Needless to say, Toby did not enjoy the incessant tapping on the top of head; the hound raised his snout and started barking loudly just as Calysta walked on the bridge of his snout.

The sudden movement of Toby lifting his nose sent both the mice falling; Basil, who was standing facing Calysta, landed with his back against Toby's and Calysta fell forward, ending up sprawled on top of Basil.

Basil, at that moment, felt like all of the air had left his lungs; it didn't help that the other mouse had landed right on top of him but when Basil tried to breathe again, he couldn't. All he could do was smell strawberries. He could feel Calysta's right leg pressed against his and her head on his chest and... He blushed.

**That awkward moment when you land on top of a sexy mouse?**

**Um. REVIEW THANKS.**

*New Mouse City. Like New York City. This name was completely and utterly taken from the Geronimo Stilton children books.


	7. Chapter 7

**Happy Holidays!**

**I know I should have updated sooner, but I have been massively busy with Christmas and working as a game tester (yes, I get money to play Tetris). **

**Galimatias : Thanks :) It means a lot and I do try to keep Basil in character as much as possible; he's really so fun to write about, I wouldn't want to change him.**

**DisneyPrincess: Geronimo Stilton is a book for 7 year olds, lol. The only reason I know about them is because I used to work for a big chain bookstore and many moms and kids would ask for recommendations. Its a similar concept to Basil of Baker Street, a mouse that goes on adventures with some friends and his sister. HAHA, Ratigan... I can't say I feel the same, though many share the same opinion as you. I guess I like Basil more because he's similar to what I like in boys in real life; lean, snarky, clever but sweet deep-down?**

**godshinin:Thank you! I try to make things funny on occasion. **

**Comedia Del Arte: Good to know that my chapter made for a good study break!**

**Thank you to all readers, to everyone who favorited this story and to everyone who gets story alerts.**

Basil started tapping his small oxford-clad foot furiously against the top of the dog's head, "Come on, now!", he said, while continuing to tap his foot.

Needless to say, Toby did not enjoy the incessant tapping on the top of head; the hound raised his nose and started barking loudly just as Calysta walked on the bridge of his snout.

The sudden movement of Toby lifting his nose sent both the mice falling; Basil, who was standing facing Calysta, landed with his back against Toby's and Calysta fell forward, ending up sprawled on top of Basil.

Basil, at that moment, felt like all of the air had left his lungs; it didn't help that the other mouse had landed right on top of him but when Basil tried to breathe again, he couldn't. All he could do was smell strawberries. He could feel Calysta's right leg pressed against his and her head on his chest and... He blushed.

Calysta groaned from her spot on Basil's chest. She slowly lifted her head and her eyes widened; she had landed on top of the British detective. She quickly moved her legs so they bent at the knee, her arms extended on both sides of Basil; on all fours, her face hovered inches above his.

"Uh...Er...I...Um...S-sorry." She stammered.

Basil didn't reply; he was still having a hard time breathing although Calysta wasn't crushing his lungs anymore. "Quite alright", he wanted to say, but he just opened and closed his mouth, unable to make a sound. He could imagine how stupid he looked; extremely red in the face, opening and closing his mouth, he must must have looked like a dying goldfish.

Calysta didn't move from her spot; she stayed on all fours, waiting for Basil to say something. The girl couldn't tell if he was feeling ill or fuming; she giggled at his expression. "Are you feeling alright?", she moved her hand to cup Basil's cheek. His fur was so soft, she couldn't help but want to hold her paw on his face for just a while longer.

Calysta's paw on his fur made Basil's face tingle. He wanted to press his cheek into her touch but restrained himself. He began breathing normally, "Quite alright," he exhaled, "Now, if you please..." He looked up at her.

"Oh right!" Calysta removed her paw from Basil's face and stood upright. She held the paw that previously cupped Basil's cheek out to the detective up. Basil made a face that Calysta could only describe as a state between pleased and disgusted. She raised an eyebrow, "What happened to partners?", she asked smiling.

Basil rolled his eyes as he grabbed the girl's extended hand and she gently helped him up. He stood facing Calysta. He couldn't help but notice her hazel eyes; one was much more green than the other. He must have been looking at the moss green of her eyes for a long time because Calysta let out a short exhale; her warm breath formed a cloud of steam in the cold air between them. Basil broke his gaze, feeling embarrassed and looked at Toby's fur beneath his feet.

"Thanks for helping me up." He muttered, still looking down at the dog's coat. Calysta smiled. Basil continued, "That is, thanks for helping me after you nearly killed me after that landing.", he looked up and smirked as he finished. Calysta's face fell.

"You're joking.", she growled. She dropped the detective's paw that she had previously held in order to help Basil to his feet. Using both of her tiny hands, she placed them on the British detective's chest and shoved him so hard that he fell onto his back. Basil yelped as he fell backward and ended up in the position he was in before. Calysta glared at Basil and the corners of her lips turned up slightly. She turned and went to sit at Toby's neck; she held onto the blue leather dog collar.

Basil propped himself up on his elbows and stared at Calysta in disbelief.

"Completely insane." He mumbled as he picked himself up.

"I HEARD THAT!"

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><p>"Such a good boy!" Calysta said, rubbing Toby behind the ears as Basil slid down the dog's tail. Toby panted happily as they all stood in front of the hospital.<p>

The hospital was a large, white stone building with a marble staircase that matched the stone walls. The main entrance was a a dark wooden framed revolving door; the mouse entrance was slightly off to the left, the door looked exactly the same as the other, but stood only a few inches tall.

Basil's black and white oxford shoes landed on the damp cobblestone of the street. He adjusted his hat as he called, "Toby!".

The dog turned his head to face the detective and Calysta stopped scratching behind Toby's ears, much to the hound's chagrin.

"Now, I need you to stay right here while we go inside", Basil explained. Toby barked loudly in agreement then turned to look back at Calysta. The hound made a whimpering sound and looked at the pony-tailed mouse with longing.

Calysta laughed at Toby's expression, "You don't want me to leave...", she said quietly as she scratched under side of the dog's chin. The girl smiled at the canine; he clearly wanted some more attention.

Yet, he wasn't the only one who didn't want to be ignored. Basil huffed in annoyance; did that American not listen? _Wait here while __**WE**__ go inside._ Did she not understand that when Basil said _**WE**_ he meant both himself and his American counter part? Basil could have continued on alone, but he couldn't deny that Calysta was clever and insightful; although he would never admit it to her. Basil kept his eyes fixed on the girl; she keep petting Toby, as if the detective were not even there. The British detective's eyes narrowed. Why would she pay more attention to the hound than him?

Toby panted happily as Calysta continued to stroke his face, his breaths creating smoke clouds that were quite large, at least, to the mouse. The girl found the clouds to be almost blinding, but she didn't mind; the dog was pleased, and this made her smile. She reached one of her paws out to rub Toby's wet nose when another small, though lighter in colour, paw grabbed hers.

Basil didn't know what had come over him. He didn't know if he had become too impatient to wait for the girl or if he had become jealous that she was paying more attention to Toby than to him, but he reached out to hold her hand before she could continue to touch the hound. He tried to push the idea of being jealous to the back of his mind. Impatient, that was it, he was tired of waiting; it seemed more like him and it just made more sense to the detective. Basil didn't make eye contact with Calysta as he began to pull her away from the dog.

She laughed as they began walking up the white marble stairs. The girl waved at Toby, who had started whimpering again. She turned to Basil, "You could have just told me that we were going, you didn't have to drag me by the hand", she said grinning.

Basil, realizing that he was still holding Calysta's hand, dropped it as fast he could. He cleared his throat, "Perhaps if you had listened the first time..."

Basil was interrupted by someone causing Calysta to trip and fall down the staircase. What had made her trip in question was a mouse; he was taller and larger than Basil, but not by very much. The mouse was wearing a long coat that dragged on the ground and black gloves. The mouse was also wearing a large black hat, most of his face was not visible, other than his two large piercing blue eyes. Basil bounded down the stairs to help Calysta but the other mouse was quicker and was already helping the American rise.

"Sorry, my dear." said the mouse, obliviously male by the sound of his voice.

"Don't worry about it." Calysta replied, gazing into the blue eyes of the mouse that tripped her.

Basil glared at the stranger. Although it was autumn the detective didn't understand why this mouse needed to be entirely covered in clothing; the only visible part of him were his azure eyes. Basil didn't trust the other male mouse and stepped closer to Calysta. He reached out to touch the small of her back, he wanted to ask if she was alright, but the other mouse was quicker.

A glove covered hand reached out and gently caressed the girl's face, "I should be more careful around beautiful women such as yourself," Calysta blushed as the mouse continued, "Please accept my sincerest apologies." He handed her a small, folded up piece of paper with his other paw.

"Yes, of course, it was an accident!" Calysta kept her gaze on the sky-blue eyes of the stranger as she took the paper from the mouse's hand and put it in her coat pocket.

The man glanced over at Basil for less than a second, pulled his paw away from Calysta's face, turned and left.

"That was odd." Calysta said, touching the side of her face where the stranger had just placed his paw.

Basil knew a lot of things; he was the best detective in all of Mousedom, a master of science and chemistry. However, he did not understand why Calysta did not answer rudely when the stranger knocked her over nor the reason she was still holding her face. He could not understand why he wanted to ask Calysta if she was alright before the mysterious blue-eyed man or why he wanted to reach out to her before _**he **_did.

This time, Basil chose jealous over impatient.

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><p>A tall yet chubby man sat, waiting, in an office. The door swung open, letting in a cool autumn draft.<p>

"Hey, Boss! How did it go?"

A blue-eyed man walked into the small office and began removing his black gloves.

"Faust, this is going to be too easy."

**Hope everyone enjoyed! I will try to get a new chapter up before school/work start up again (so hopefully before January the 2nd). Feel free to hassle me if I don't follow through :p **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone!**

**OK, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in reading a sequel? I have some ideas as to how this story will end (not too soon, not to worry). I would LOVE to write a sequel, it has been my intention since the start, but I can try to end this story as nicely as possible if no one would want to read Part 2. So if you want to read a sequel (or don't ) please write me. You could also reply to the poll (if you're too shy to write to me or whatever).**

**Galimatias: I never read Geronimo Stilton... I think it may be because I went to French elementary school and was never introduced to them. Or maybe I'm just old, haha! I would have a hard time thinking that any mouse could be more awesome than Basil ;)**

**DisneyPrincess: I try to show that Calysta can be really sweet, like when she plays with Toby, but she is also equipped with a nasty temper, like when she shoves Basil or when she threatens to kill him or when she insults is accent or... :p **

**Thank you to all readers! ;)**

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><p>Calysta stood on the white marble of the hospital staircase, still holding her cheek, watching as the blue eyed man walked down the street and around the corner, his long black coat billowing in the autumn wind. She couldn't shake the image of his piercing azure eyes from her mind; they were both stunning and terrifying. Calysta gently sniffed; the man smelt like someone who had spent a long time in the hospital, the faintest scent of formaldehyde and something else she could not quite identify. Her cheek had turned cold when the man touched her; his gloved paw had felt strange and bony, not reassuring or comforting as he had wanted. She shuddering thinking of his touch, she'd rather not have to see him again.<p>

While Calysta kept her gaze on the corner of the street, thinking about the strange encounter she'd had with the blue eyed man, Basil had his eyes locked on his partner. What could she possibly be thinking about? What could be more important than the case they were working on? She couldn't possibly be... attracted to this mystery man, could she? Basil scowled. Women, so easily distracted. Basil looked up and his jaw dropped; a huge human shoe was coming towards them.

"Look out!" Basil yelled.

Basil ran towards the girl, pushing them both so they were standing flush against a wall. Calysta stood between the British detective and the wall; she glanced at the spot where she was standing seconds prior as a huge brown boot landed on the step. She winced, thinking about what would have happened if Basil hadn't pushed her.

Basil stood facing both Calysta and the wall with both his arms outstretched on either side of the girl. He made a tutting sound with his mouth, "If you had not been so enamoured with that man, perhaps you wouldn't be so distracted. Quite frankly, if you are to act with your head in the clouds at all times...-"

"You're right." Calysta interjected.

"-maybe you shouldn't be trying to solve a case with me. What if I hadn't been here to save you? Do you know what could have happened to y..-" Basil's speech was cut short by Calysta putting her paw to the detective's mouth.

"I already told you that you were right, Basil. I shouldn't get so distracted. But you need to shut up." She moved the detective's paw from her side and bounded up the marble stairs. When she reached the revolving door she paused, turned and looked at Basil, "Thank you for saving me. It's good to know that you care enough to risk your life for me", she smiled as she went through the rotating doors.

Basil stood paralyzed on the white step, dumbfounded. He stared at the hospital doors as if Calysta would come back out and say, "It's alright, I know you only care about the case and I am clearly an asset to this investigation", but she didn't. Basil swallowed audibly; maybe she didn't have to take back what she had said because it was clear that Basil did care about her, at least a little. He slapped his forehead with his paw and grit his teeth.

Next time, he'd have to make sure her tail got clipped by a shoe.

* * *

><p>When Basil came in through the revolving doors, Calysta was waiting for him at the entrance.<p>

"Did you get lost on your way up the steps?" she asked sarcastically.

Basil scowled and directed his attention to the main desk.

Similarly to the outside of the building, the entire interior was a sterile white. The white ceramic of the floor tiles gleamed under fluorescent ceiling lamps. The only thing that stood out in the sea of white of the hospital lobby were two little red eyes from behind the receptionist desk. The red eyes widened when they caught sight of Basil.

"Mister Basil!", the middle aged albino exclaimed cheerfully as she rose quickly from her spot from behind the desk. Her white hair was styled into a bob. The nails on her paws were painted a bright pink, almost as if to match her eyes.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kenneth", Basil replied politely.

"Oh, Mister Basil, you should stop with the formalities, especially after the way you showed the police that I was being framed." The white mouse turned to Calysta, "As if I would be stealing sedatives and experimental medication! A mouse such as myself has already been subjected to enough testing and running through mazes. Please, call me Rosalba."

"Lab mouse." Calysta thought as she noticed how Rosalba's paw twitched slightly when she shook it, "Calysta."

"Mister Basil's never brought anyone around here other than Doctor Dawson now he arrives with his girlfriend." Rosalba said, winking at Calysta while nudging Basil in the ribs.

"She is most certainly not my...-"

"I would never in a million years...-"

"Our relationship is strictly professional!" Both Basil and Calysta said in unison. They both turned to look at each other, quickly looked away then simultaneously crossed their arms.

Rosalba laughed, "I suppose you're here because you would like to go down to the morgue?"

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><p>Calysta never thought that she would be more afraid of an elevator than of a place where dead mice were kept.<p>

The elevator was kept at the very back of the building, "So children running about can't get to it", Rosalba had told them. Unlike the rest of the hospital, it was not pristine and white; it was made of a black metal. The doors looked like two thick grates and needed to be closed manually from the inside. A single lightbulb was hanging from an electric wire creating an eerie glow in the already creepy elevator.

Calysta stood under the light source in what she thought could easily be a death trap and Basil started to close the double doors.

"By the way, Miss Kenneth," Basil called out to the albino, "You wouldn't happen to know if a man in a black coat and hat came this way, would you?"

"A man with beautiful baby blues?", the red eyed mouse said dreamily as she cupped her face with her palms and batted her eye lashes. Basil rolled his eyes. "He went to visit a patient in the mental ward. Third floor, room 314."

Basil nodded, closed the lift doors and pressed a button that said "SUB-BASEMENT". The button began glowing a light yellow colour and elevator began it's slow descent to the morgue.

Calysta held her breath as the elevator lowered. Basil continued to face the double doors. The space inside the lift was small and Calysta was starting to feel claustrophobic. The contraption creaked and the girl squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

"Scared, are we?" Basil asked, without even turning to look at his partner.

She could tell he was smirking, just by the way he had asked, "Of course not!", still she kept her eyes shut.

"You're lying. You seemed uncomfortable as soon as you stepped into the elevator, I could tell." Basil paused, "You also haven't said a word... It's very unlike you. You only stop speaking when you feel that you're in some sort of trouble, like when you fell asleep on my couch." Basil turned to face the girl, who had kept her eyes shut, "You're quivering and your eyes are closed."

Calysta's eyelids lifted and she met the detective's green-eyed gaze. He was smiling, he knew he was right. The girl frowned. "Well, you're wrong, I'm not afraid, I mean it's just an old creaky elevator. I'm not afraid of it breaking and falling to my death. Nor am I afraid of teeny, tiny enclosed spaces. Nor...-" Calysta stopped talking and grew pale. She felt something crawling on her shoulder, she turned her head slightly and screamed.

"GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!" Calysta starting yelling. She clenched her eyes shut once more and violently shook her head, sending her pony-tail waving in every which way.

On her shoulder was the smallest spider that Basil had ever seen. "Probably invisible to the human eye", he thought as he flicked the bug away with his thumb and index.

"You can stop yelling now." Basil said.

Calysta looked up at Basil who was now stifling a few chuckles. "It's not funny!"

"On the contrary my dear..." Basil could not longer contain himself and burst out in uncontrollable laughter.

Calysta had not seen the detective laugh at something he found genuinely funny before; he had laughed maniacally when she had first met Toby, but that wasn't quite the same. It was rare to see the detective smile because he was happy, Basil was the kind to smile when he had come up with something clever or witty. When his mouth opened and the sound of his laughed escaped, Calysta didn't mind that she had embarrassed herself. She wouldn't mind doing it again if it meant that Basil would laugh like this once more. The sound of Basil's rare, yet genuine, laughter was one of the best things that she had ever heard.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped with a jolt and the familiar smell of tobacco, newsprint and cardamom dissipated. Basil stopped laughing as both mice lurched forward. Calysta smelt the pungent odor of formaldehyde, her eyes widened; the scent the man who had knocked her over on the staircase. She covered her nose with her sleeve and used her other paw to pull the same face mask she had worn on the day she and Basil had met. She pulled a second mask out of her purse and handed it to the detective who eagerly put it on. Calysta quickly put on a pair of rubber gloves that reached her elbows; the plastic made loud snapping sounds as she put on each paw.

"Ready?"

Basil nodded and opened the elevator doors.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I will try to post again soon :)<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

So does everyone forgive me for not updating since December?  
>sorrysorrysorrysorry<p>

Kuro: Thanks! I'm glad you like it :)

FairyTales And Pixie Dust: I do plan on re-introducing Ratigan! I'm thinking not the next update but the following, so please be patient :) I'm really glad that you enjoy Calysta and Basil's emotions. .. Oh, and bring on the fangirling. ;p

Galimatias: KILLING CALYSTA. Oh dear. I can't imagine the sequel being particularly cheerful if I were to kill her off But now that you've given me the idea heheheh :P Sorry about your nails, but I doubt that this chapter will help. :P

DisneyPrincess: Spiders aren't the only thing that Calysta doesn't like, you'll see. Thanks for reviewing ;)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, added this story to their favourites and added story alerts. Much love.

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><p>Basil could not understand for the life of him why his partner was afraid of minuscule spiders when she could look at dozens of bloody corpses without flinching.<p>

Calysta lifted a white sheet from yet another dead mouse, "Not him ", she muttered for what Basil thought could have been the hundredth time. She put the cloth back on the cadaver and gently slid the dead mouse back into the steel floor to ceiling storage unit.

Basil winced.

The British detective rarely needed to deal with the dead, mainly because his cases revolved around stolen items, stolen fathers and the impending threat of the world being dominated by criminal mice. When Basil did, in fact, have to investigate a crime involving a dead body, it was his chubby partner, Doctor David Q. Dawson, who would perform biopsies. Dawson was a surgeon after all. It wasn't that Basil didn't like throughly inspecting the once living, breathing, body of a now decaying creature, it was just that he didn't have much of an opportunity considering his partner was a doctor. Despite the fact that Basil had little practice when it came to the deceased, he was uncomfortable in the morgue.

"Found him!" Calysta said, a little too cheerfully for someone who had just looked over a room filled with cadavers. The dark haired mouse lifted the white sheet to reveal the dead politician.

Mr. LePetit's face looked very different from the photo that Basil had seen in the paper; the politician's eyes were closed, part of his right ear and the tip of his nose had been cut off and his mouth was contorted as if he had died screaming.

"It looks like his heart is missing." Calysta said, using a scalpel to prod at the gaping hole in the left side of the French mouse's chest.

Basil thought he was going to be sick. He gagged and placed the cloth back onto the victim's face, "Out of respect " he muttered almost inaudibly.

Calysta raised an eyebrow quizzically, "You don't have to watch if you don't want to. I've taken care of many bloody animals, I'm used to it sort of."

Basil didn't say a word. He had never seen anything so gruesome.

"But you will be reduced to assistant position." Calysta continued, chuckling, referring to her first encounter with the detective.

Basil scowled and turned away, "It's really not the time to be making jokes, Calysta."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh at your squeamishness. Forgive me."

Basil turned back towards the American to argue that he was not squeamish, but as soon as his eyes dropped to her glove-clad paw using tweezers to inspect the hole, he thought better of it. "Hmph."

The girl giggled as she continued to work on the body. She quickly jotted something down in her black notebook.

Basil snorted and lowered his face mask as he walked around the room, all the while trying to avoid his partner and her work. He inhaled. The strong scent of formaldehyde hit him like a ton of bricks. There was another scent, but Basil couldn't quite pick up what it was.

"Hey, Basil?" Her mouth causing the surgical mask covering her face to move slightly.

He turned his head to indicate that he was listening, but did not look at Calysta nor in her direction in fear of becoming nauseated.

"Thanks for dropping the formalities and calling me Calysta, not Miss Calysta." She said, without lifting her eyes from her work.

Basil barely noticed that he had dropped the honorific. He rarely stopped being formal with others. He even called his long-time partner by his last name!

Before Basil could finish wondering why he was comfortable enough with Calysta to drop the formalities, his ears twitched. "Do you hear that?"

The girl put down her surgical tools and paid close attention to the sound the light brown mouse was referring to, "It sounds like scratching and something else? Sizzling? Also meowing?"

Basil sniffed the air again, fire? His eyes widened.

Ignoring the mangled corpse, Basil ran towards Calysta and quickly grabbed her glove covered hand and dragged her towards the large grey door with an icon of a staircase on it.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Calysta yelled angrily while keeping up with Basil's pace and squeezing the hand that held hers. She ripped the mask off her face with her free paw.

Basil pulled Calysta onto the floor as a small explosion caused a metal shelf to fall over and the contents to spill onto the concrete floor. Debris went flying through the air as part of the wall collapsed. The air was thick with dust from the explosion. Calysta glanced over to where they were just standing; fallen bricks and storage units had fallen over the spot where she had just been working. Her jaw dropped.

"Basil, you sav -"

"SSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!" Basil hissed from his spot next to her on the floor as he put a finger up to his mouth to indicate that she should keep quiet. He pointed to the opposite side of the room.

The explosion had caused a hole in the wall. The hole itself was not very big yet that didn't mean that something wasn't trying to squeeze through the newly formed opening. A large pair of green eyes glowed from outside. They blinked slowly, adjusting . The eyes looked into the building and began approaching the morgue. The first thing to poke through the hole was a tuft of brown hair, followed by a blue bow.

Basil gasped; he recognized the creature that was slowly approaching the two mice and squeezing through the opening.

Paws followed the hair bow then a tiny pink nose, whiskers.

Felicia, Ratigan's cat.

"Not... a... sound." Basil said slowly, whispering directly into Calysta's ear. She tensed. Calysta kept a strong hold on Basil's paw.

By nature, prey is meant to fear it's predator; mice are meant to be afraid of cats. However, some are more afraid than others. While Basil kept an eye on Felicia, his partner had squeezed her eyes shut tightly and had started to breathe heavily. Her paws curled into fists, including the one that was still holding Basil's. The detective hissed in pain. He glanced at his partner who was quivering in fear from her spot on the floor.

Basil counted three; claustrophobia, arachnophobia and now ailurophobia. Perfect. Just perfect.

The ground and the still standing shelves shook as the large cat approached the morgue. Felicia licked her lips.

Basil gently shook Calysta's shoulder in hopes to get her attention but to no avail; she was frozen to the spot.

"I.. can't", she muttered almost inaudibly. Her throat tightened as she tried not to cry. She glimpsed over her shoulder only to turn her gaze back to the concrete floor as quickly as she could.

The cat's eyes adjusted to the darkness of the morgue and the creature meowed loudly.

Basil turned to look at the cat; his eyes locked with the feline's. His eyes widened.

Spotted.

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><p>I won't lie I shortened this chapter so everyone would be on the edge of their seat until the next update. HA. Next one will be extra long to make up for it ... and will have sweeter BxC interaction. PROMISES.<p>

Thanks to everyone who read this chapter :) Please forgive me for taking so long to update, but I will make an effort to update much more often now that school is out.  
>THANKS Y'ALL. REVIEW, FAVE, DO ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. xoxo<p> 


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